Sounding device.



PATBNTED AUG. 8, 1905.

S. EARLE.

9 .1 E 0% Tl V ED D 3 GL Dw N T H 0 SH P P A PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

S. EARLE.

SOUNDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.29.1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SWEPSON EARLE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SOUNDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed December 29, 1903- Serial No. 186,959-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LSwErsoN EARLE,a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sounding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in sounding devices and shoal-water indicators; and it has for its object, among others, to provide a simple and efficient and cheap yet reliable device for this purpose by which the depth of the water can be readily determined.

It has for a further object to provide means whereby it may be at all times determined whether or not the contacting member is moving in contact with the dial.

It has for still a further object to provide an antifriction-guide for the vertically-disposed rod connected with the contacting member.

A still further object is to make provision for the retention of the contact-member-carrying arm in proper relative position regardless of the position of the vessel. The contacting member may be attached to its carrying-arm in a variety of ways. The said arm is so mounted upon the side of the vessel or otherwise so as to be thrown up into a substantially horizontal position when not in use.

Means such as a cord or other device is con-.

i in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the application of my present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the antifrictionguide removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in side elevation of the one form of contacting member. Fig. i. is a detail view of the dial. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in plan of the principal end of the carrying-arm of the contact member, showing the dial, &c. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail showing the joint in said arm. 'Fig. 7 is a similar view of modified construction thereof. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the support for the principal end of said arm, and Fig. 8 shows the spacing-blocks therefor. Fig. 9 is a detail of the rotary sleeve-joint employed at the principal end of the carrying-arm of the contact member. Fig. 10 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing the application of modified form of the invention. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail showing one manner of mounting the contact member. Fig. 12 is a similar view showing another form of mounting. Fig. 13 is a similar view showing another form of contact member and means for supporting same.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, 1 designates the hull of a vessl or boat of any suitable or well-known type.

2 is a rod, bar, or tube, which may have any desired shape in cross-section for the purpose of decreasing the resistance in its pas sage through the water. This bar carries at its lower end the contacting member which is designed to travel upon the bottom of the river or other body of water. This contacting member may be of any desired character and formsuch, for instance, as a roller 3, (shown in Figs. 1 and 3)or of any of the other forms, which will be hereinafter described more fully.

4 is a rope or cord or any other suitable ligament attached, as at 5, to an adjustable sleeve 6 or other suitable means carried by the rod 2 between its ends, the said rope 4 extended upward and over a suitable support 7, the said cord being designed for use in raising and lowering the bar 2 and the devices carried thereby when desired.

Rising from the yoke or other support 8 for the shaft 9 of the roller 3 is a socket member 10, in which is received a rod 11, which is designed to he graduated, so that the depth can be readily determined by a glance at said rod. This rod 11 is guided in its vertical movements through a suitable guide. (Seen detached in Fig. 2.) This guide comprises the bracket 13.. having end portions 14, by which it may be secured to theside of the vessel, and to a main portion of the bracket is secured the casting 15 by bolts or the like 16, and the intermediate bolt or the like 17 extends through the bracket and casting and is provided with nuts 19, by which the bracket and casting are further secured in place on the vessel. The casting 15 supports a rectangular frame 20, in which are mounted antifriction-rollers 21 in the space 22, between which works the rod 11, whereby the friction of the latter is reduced to a minimum. The cord, cable or the like 23 is attached in any suitable manner, as at 24, to the upper end of this rod 11 and passes under a roller or bolt 25, the free end of said cord being designed to be secured in any suitable manner to aid in the manipulation of the device, as may be required.

In order to give audible evidence that the contacting member is in contact with the bottom of the river or other body of water, I provide a bell 26, mounted on the upper end of the rod 11, and upon the shaft 9 of the roller or the contacting member 3 I provide a crank-arm or the like 26, which is mounted to revolve with said shaft and at each revolution to engage the lower end of an arm 27, which extends upwardly alongside of or through the rod 11 or through an inclosing tube or conduit carried by said rod and adapted to operate the bell-hammer. The spring 28 may be interposed in the connection between the arm 27 and the bell-hammer to prevent injury to the parts.

The upper end of the rod 2 is suitably connected with a shaft 29, mounted in suitable bearings, supported in any suitable manner,

of the roller or any portion of the vessel, and this upper end of the shaft carries a finger or index-hand 30, which extends for a distance parallel with the shaft 29 and thence bent at right angles thereto and its free end curved or bent, as seen at 31, to move over the inner face of a dial 32, suitably supported on the shaft 29, as seen clearly in Figs. 1 and 5. Suitable spacing-collars 33 are provided, the same being removably mounted on the shaft 29, so as to permit of ready adjustment of the bar 2 or the dial and the point of connection of the upper end of the rod 2. Suitable braces 34 and 35, attached to the side of the vessel and disposed at right angles to each other, give sufiicient rigidity to the shaft 29 and the parts mounted thereon.

The upper end of the rod 2 is provided with a rotary sleeve-joint, as seen at 36, to permit of all necessary movements of the rod and contacting member without distorting the same by reason of any undue strain thereon. This rotary sleeve-joint may be of any approved form of construction, that shown being efiicient for the purpose in view. It comprises a short shaft-section 37, having annular grooves or depressions 38, in which work the points or projections 39, carried by the socket member, in which the shaft-section 37 is received. The construction is such that the rod 2 may rotate and yet be held against longitudinal separation from its cooperating member. This rod 2 is preferably jointed, as seen at 40, the short section 41 being secured thereto at one end, as at 42, and its other end having pivotal connection, as at 43, with the short sections 37 as seen clearly in Figs. 1, 6, and 7. In Fig. 6. I have shown bowed springs 44, attached at one end, as at 45, to the shaft-section 37, the said springs extending beyond the joint 43 and bearing against the shaft-section 41, the said springs serving to allow necessary movements of the joint and yet tending to hold the shaft-sections in longitudinal alinement.

As hereinbefore stated, the contacting member may assume any desired form or shape and may be mounted upon its carrying-rod 2 in any suitable way. In Fig. 13 I have shown the contacting member 45 as formed integral with its carrying-rod or with the lower extension thereon, and in this form it quite resembles a roller-that is, its bottom edge is curved, but is not mounted to rotate. The rod 11 is pivotally connected therewith, as at 46.

In Figs. 10 and 12 I have shown the contacting member 47 as of elongated form, secured to its carrying-rod 2 by bolts or the like 48, while in Fig. 11 I have shown the contacting member 49 as of a shape somewhat similar to that in Fig. 10; but its upper end is pivotally mounted, as at 50, upon an eX tension 51 of the rod 2, a sleeve or the like 52 being mounted on the rod 2 and having the rod 11 connected therewith. A spring 53, connected, as at 54, with the sleeve or collar 52, bears with its free end upon the upper face of the contacting member 49 at a point near its free end, the construction being such that while the spring holds the contacting member down to its work it permits it to vibrate or move vertically in meeting with an obstruction, so as to prevent injury thereto.

When not in use, the device may be turned up into the position indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 10, substantially parallel with the side of the vessel, the guide for the rod 11 being swiveled to permit of this movement, the swivel being formed by the bolt 17, which is adapted to turn freely in its bar in the casting and bracket, so as to allow the portion 20 to assume any desired position. The fulllined position (shown in Figs. 1 and 10) indicates the operative position of the parts.

From the above it will be seen that I have devised a simple, cheap, yet efficient and reliable device for the purpose specified, and while the structural embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed is what I at the present time consider preferable it is evident that the same is subject to changes, variations, and modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. I therefore do not wish to be restricted to the details of construction herein illustrated, b'ut reserve the right to make such changes, variations, and modifications as come within the scope of the protection prayed.

The size and shape of the various parts may be varied and any suitable material may be employed therefor.

This machine is constructed in such a man-- ner that it may be readily used in connection with any suitable registering or recording device, so that a continuous diagram may be made of the bed of the body of water the depth of which is being measured.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. A sounding device comprising a contacting member, a pivoted arm carrying said memher and having a rotary sleeve-joint, an indicating device, an alarm, and an arm carrying said alarm and connected with the contacting member.

2. A sounding device comprising a contacting member an inclined pivoted arm carrying said member and having a rotary sleeve-joint an indicating device, a signal, an arm connecting signal and the contacting member, both indicating device and signal being actuated by the movement of the contacting member.

3. A sounding device comprising a contacting member, an inclined pivoted arm carrying said member and having a rotary sleeve-joint, an indicating device operatively connected with the pivoted end of said arm, an audible signal and-an arm carrying the same operatively connected with the contacting member.

4. A sounding device comprising a contacting member, an inclined carrying arm therefor, having a rotary sleeve-joint, an indicating device operated directly by said arm, a rod connected with said member a movable guide for said rod and an audible signal carried by said rod.

5. A sounding device comprising a contacting member, an inclined arm for carrying the same and having a rotary sleeve-joint, an indicating device connected with and operated by said arm, said sleeve being disposed between the contacting member and the indicating device.

6. A sounding device comprising a contacting member, an inclined arm carrying the same and having a rotary sleeve-joint, an indicating device connected with and operated by said arm, said sleeve being disposed between the contacting member and the indicating device, said arm having also a pivotal joint.

7. A sounding device comprising a contacting member, an indicating device, an audible signal, means directly connecting the same with said member and a pivotal joint in one ing a rotary sleeve-joint; and an indicating device connected with and operated by said rod, said rod also having a pivotal joint.

10. A sounding device comprising a contacting member, a rod carrying the same and having a rotary sleeve-joint, and an indicating device connected with and operated by said rod, said rod having also a pivotal joint and an audible signal connected with said contacting member.

11. A sounding device comprising a bar and contacting member carried by said bar, a pivotal support for one end of said bar, an indicating device operated by said bar and an audible signal connected with the contacting member.

12. In a sounding device, a bar for carrying the contacting member a joint in said bar, and springs secured upon one side of the joint, and acting upon the portion of the bar upon the opposite side of said joint.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SWEPSON EARLE. Witnesses:

EDMUND BEGKEY, G. H. THEODORE LANG. 

